Ayurvedic Tips and Reminders- Anti-aging and Ayurveda
Greetings,
What does anti-aging have to do with Ayurveda? Everything! In the west when we think of anti-aging we most often associate it with the skin or we think of it as prolonging life and extending years through rigorous diets, exercise programs or expensive skin creams. Some of those techniques could actually work but for the most part, people end up tossing the fad diets or boot camp approaches out the window because they are not sustainable. The ego gets mad that it cannot have this or that then rebels and goes back to where it was. Ayurveda’s unique individualized approach looks at personality traits, body type build, environmental factors, relationships, exercise and stress levels before artfully creating a wellness plan.
It is not a one size fits all model, thank goodness. For example, a person living in California will have a different set of herbs and nutritional recommendations than someone who lives in Georgia- dry vs. wet climate. Two people with similar digestive issues will have different remedies based upon the “cause” of the disturbance- whether it’s poor food combining, eating too fast, eating out too much, or maybe eating too much raw food. A person having migraines might get completely different recommendations after a full question intake on the cause. One person might have dehydration while another stress in a relationship or workplace, both totally different.
Ayurveda’s anti-aging approach is comprehensive promoting balance through connecting body/mind and the self.
Just for fun, I offer you seven anti-aging approaches you could experiment with – As they say, “an apple a day”- one Ayurvedic practice a day? Make each practice conscious, aware, joyful, purposeful while telling yourself how good it feels. Like we talked about last week, make it your own! You could do it with a friend, another Mom, tennis buddy, co-worker- experiment with seeing how it feels not to eat anything processed for one day or meditate together , take a walk together or sit and talk over a cup of ginger tea.
- Daily rituals ( last week’s topic).
- Eating foods that are in season and local- avoiding leftovers, processed, microwaved and stale food. I always say “anything that has a wrapper try to avoid”.
- Practicing silence through meditation, creativity, being in nature. Take pictures outdoors.
- Paying attention to the breath and practicing deep belly breathing. Try turning the news off.
- Herbs that nourish the tissues and bring vitality to the skin ex. Ginger tea, cooking with turmeric, ashwagandha for strength and stability, vit C fruits such as pomegranate, sweet orange or papaya.
- Exercise that supports good energy flow and fluidity in the body such as walking, yoga, swimming, tai chi.
- Using oil to massage the body daily along with essential oils which increase oxygen in the body.
Last but not on a list is “laughter”– My Aunt Rose ( my mothers’ sister) who is 98 years old was doing headstand poses for relaxation long before anyone heard of yoga and always has a smile on her face. She literally sees humor in everything and is a great story teller. I’m sure her laughter has been part of her anti-aging secret besides her face vibrator that she has used for fifty years. She says everyone should use one ( along with one face lift she says everyone should have at 50). Here she is in 2015- she sure doesn’t look 95. And that’s her granddaughter Staci and great- grandchild. Her mind is also sharp as a tac- she can talk about any sport and knows all the players.
Hope you have a great week!
Events:
Tuesday Feb 28th Centre Spring MD 7pm -Essential oils for allergies
My new essential oil roll-ons will be sampled there.
Hope to see you. Registration required 404-528-1483 press “spa”
My greatest gift from you is a referral. Without you I would not be where I am today… thank you!
warmly,
Gedalia